P. E. Hallett (2013) Supplement A: Data Mining Tools for the 2011 Data Set on Farmed Solitary Bees & Wasps

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In

P. E. Hallett (2011) Farmed Solitary Bees & Wasps, Data Set (generations 1997-2008)

there were 3 localities with vertical arrays of end-on horizontal nest cavities of different sizes. The major record collection is for annual generations 2001-8. Each locality had 2 duplicate stands of equipment, each consisting of 2-3 spatially duplicate (or almost duplicate) nest boxes open on one side. Each nest box had 5 stacks of nest blocks, each nest block 4-8 cavities of a given aperture or cavity width. Different apertures are associated with different species. A nest box was filled with repeating groups of 2-4 nest blocks of the 2-3 cavity widths. This arrangement samples the face of the nest box at the finest possible spatial scale and avoids the patchy sampling that a random placement would generate. Nest block colouring is randomized to provide homing cues for the insects. See, e.g., 2011 Data Set 06A.01.

Because cavities are easily inspected one can calibrate nest and immature appearances to laboratory-hatched identified adults, and so log the survival and associations of species or species groups in the field. See, e.g., 2011 Data Set 03.0, 04.0

Perhaps the most profitable approach is to quickly read the metatexts before downloading, e.g., either collection A05.01A or collection A05.05 (e.g., the module 'StagedNests_byHSACWorC' ) ---and replicating their Examples along with variations of your own. The alternative of no computing, and just browsing the example maps and tables, allows an overview but is less likely to come close to what is needed.

Supplement A is finished and largely independent of the 2011 Data Set. Its continuation, Supplement B, will be offered as a work in progress.